


Fit to Print

by Thistlerose



Category: DCU, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Journalism, POV Character of Color, POV Female Character, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-26 09:59:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2647766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thistlerose/pseuds/Thistlerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iris seeks career advice from her idol.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fit to Print

**Author's Note:**

> This is set sometime around Episode 4.
> 
> Also, this was written for Ladies Bingo 2014, which I completely forgot to mention when I first posted it. The prompt was: "Information is given off the record."

Iris honestly didn't think she'd show. She was _Lois freaking Lane_ , for God's' sake; she had better things to do than sit down for coffee and chit-chat with some random journalism student who'd passed her a cryptic note at a book signing. Come to think of it, Iris reflected as she started another pot of decaf, anyone with half a brain - and Lois Lane had a lot more than that - would run as fast they could in the opposite direction.

So to say she was surprised when Lois actually did walk into Jitters, looking sharp and sophisticated in her trenchcoat and high heels, rain in her glossy dark hair, was kind of an understatement. 

"Keep an eye on things for me, okay?" she whispered to Meadow as she quickly brushed the coffee grounds from her apron and grabbed her pen and notepad from underneath the counter. Without waiting for her co-worker's response, she hurried over to greet her idol.

"Ms. Lane! Hi!"

"Hi," said Lois, looking amused and wary. "Iris We--"

Before she could say anything else, Iris jumped back in: "First of all, I want to thank you personally for coming to speak at my university this morning. I know I kind of already said that when you signed my book, but it's still true. You've only been my heroine since … I don't know. Since forever. Since I was a little girl."

Instead of making some kind of stupid quip about feeling old now, Lois only smiled indulgently. Of course she would, Iris thought. She was too cool to be concerned with things like age.

"Anyway. I'm sorry I'm gushing. It's just - you know. Anyway. Can we talk? I mean, do you mind? I have these questions."

Lois reached into her trenchcoat pocket and pulled out a familiar piece of lavender stationery, crisply folded into eighths. "I believe," she said, passing Iris back her note, "that you were going to share some _answers._ "

Iris's stomach did a flop. "Riiiight," she said. "Um, yeah." She looked down at the toes of Lois's black leather pumps. 

"Let me guess," Lois said, sounding annoyed, "you don't actually know anything about the Red Streak. You just want to interview me for an assignment. Well, I can tell you I've tricked my way into plenty of interviews, but--"

"No," Iris cut in, looking up. "I mean, yeah, I guess I implied that I know more than I do, but I actually do know some things and I want to talk to you about them. I want your advice. Because I feel like you have relevant experience, I mean you've done all those stories about Superman, and you're like the best investigative reporter … ever." Okay, that was laying it on a bit thick, maybe. Before Lois could tell her she was completely deluded and walk out, Iris added quickly, "I'll buy you a coffee. And a pastry. We have the best pumpkin cheesecake in Central City."

Lois crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine," she said. "I guess I resorted to pastry bribes too, back in the day. I can stay for fifteen minutes."

"Oh, thank you!" Iris wanted to hug her. Instead she said, "I'll be right back. Um, you can sit over there." She pointed to a table set a little apart from the others, over by the rain-spattered front window.

Lois looked at her doubtfully for a moment, then her lips quirked in a sort of resigned smile. "Two packets of sugar, no cream."

"Got it." Iris whirled back to the counter and waved Meadow over. "I'll be fifteen minutes," she said. "I promise. I only took part of my break, before." At Meadow's pout, she added slyly, "You know, Barry's on his way over here. If he's not _too_ late for once, I'll need someone to distract him for me."

Meadow brightened.

"You're the best," Iris told her. "Oh, and I need a slice of pumpkin cheesecake and a regular coffee, two sugars, no cream. I'll pay for it later, don't worry."

Meadow huffed a long-suffering sigh.

Iris found Lois at the table she'd indicated, idly scrolling through her Twitter feed. She looked up when Iris set the cheesecake and coffee down in front of her, turned her smartphone off, and slipped it back into her leather handbag.

"Okay," said Iris, sliding into the chair opposite and flipping open her notebook. "I'm working on this story on the Red Streak. This blog, actually, which I want to turn into a story. I have photos - not great ones, unfortunately - and some first-hand accounts from people he's rescued, but I know that's not enough. I would be so grateful for any advice, any little hints you could give me."

"'He'?" said Lois. "Do you know that for a fact?"

"It's a hunch," said Iris. "A strong one."

"Well, hunches need to lead to facts."

"So, tell me how to do that. Please," Iris added quickly, when Lois raised her eyebrows. "Please, just one little bit of advice. It would mean the world to me. Unless you think I should, I don't know, throw myself over a waterfall and hope he saves me."

"No," said Lois dryly. "I wouldn't recommend that tactic." She picked up her fork and sliced off a piece of cheesecake. As she did, her gaze became thoughtful. "Why are you so interested in this guy? Assuming it _is_ a guy."

"Who wouldn't be? Central City's own superhero. We need that."

"Why?"

"It's only fair. Metropolis has a hero, Starling City has a hero. The Streak is ours."

"There has to be more to it than that. Okay, maybe there doesn't have to be, but if you want a compelling story, 'well, they got one, so we should have one' isn't much of an angle. By the way, this cheesecake is amazing."

Iris slumped a little in her seat and frowned at her notebook. She'd thought about this, of course, but she'd never said it out loud, not even to her dad or Eddie - and certainly not to Barry. She'd never dreamed she'd be trying to explain it to Lois Lane. Actually, that wasn't quite true; she'd fantasized about it a few times, but always in her fantasy Lois was coming up to congratulate Iris after she accepted her Pulitzer. And there were crystal flutes of champagne, and little gourmet brownies, not coffee and pumpkin cheesecake at Jitters.

She was aware of Lois's gaze and the fact that her allotted fifteen minutes were slipping away. She tapped her pen against her notebook a couple of times, bit her lip, then said somewhat haltingly, "It's like - there's nothing really wrong with Central City. I mean, it's not perfect, but there are worse places to live. At the same time, though … sometimes I feel like this city is stuck, you know? Like it's not getting worse, but it's not really getting any better either. Sometimes I feel like there's nothing to hope _for_. Not _me_ , necessarily, but … people." She looked up. "I'm not explaining it well, I know. Trust me, I'm much more eloquent in print. Okay, let me give you an example. Nine months ago, S.T.A.R. Labs was supposed to have this particle accelerator up and running. I don't know much about physics, but a lot of people were really excited. It was going to be this huge deal. But then something went wrong, and there was an explosion and people were injured - one man even died - and they had to abandon the project. It was horrible."

"I remember. Science experiments go wrong all the time," said Lois, not unkindly. 

"I know, I know. But the thing is…" 

At that moment the door opened and Barry walked in. He shook the rain from his shoulders and looked around. Iris quickly glanced back down at her notebook.

Fortunately, Meadow was on the ball. Out of the corner of her eye, Iris watched as she practically vaulted over the counter and rushed to intercept. Barry reacted with surprise, but if Meadow's sincere - if rather inept - attempt at flirting annoyed him, he was way too polite to let it show. Actually, Iris thought, he looked sort of flattered. God, it was really too bad Felicity lived so far away: the boy needed a girlfriend badly. Meadow was sweet and she obviously had good taste, but she was nowhere near his level of geekdom.

Figuring she had at least a few minutes left, Iris leaned closer to Lois and said quietly, "It's more than that. The same night as the explosion, there was this freak lightning storm, and my best friend got hit. He was in a coma for nine months. I honestly thought…" She drew a constricted breath. It _still_ hurt to say the words out loud. "I thought he was going to die. For nine months, I thought he was going to die. He's like my brother. Anyway, he came out of it - he's fine now, physically - but something's different. Something's wrong. It's like…" She started tapping with her pen again.

Lois reached out and gently took the pen from Iris's hand.

Iris flushed. But then she went on quickly, "I don't know if I should even be saying this, but that wasn't the first really bad thing that's happened to my friend. I can't - it would be wrong of me to say more. Plus, you know, he's a forensic scientist, so he's always dealing with crime scenes and dead bodies for work. So I want to show him that there are good forces in the world too. There's a reason to hope. And I think Central City could use some of that hope too."

Lois's glance slid over to Barry, still being chatted up by Meadow, then back to Iris. "Let me guess. That's the guy?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I'm good with hunches too. Cute."

"The cutest," said Iris. "He's like my brother."

"Yeah, you said that. So, you want to bring this positive message to him and - as an added bonus, it sounds like - to your city. What about for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What does this Streak-guy mean to you?" said Lois. "If all you wanted to do was cheer up Mister Adorable, couldn't you just get him a puppy?"

"He _is_ a puppy," Iris muttered. "No," she went on, looking up at Lois, "I know what you mean. This is about me too. See, I lost my mom when I was little. And my dad's a cop. So's my boyfriend. Central City isn't Gotham, but I still worry about them a lot." God, she used to be so afraid whenever her dad got called in to do something potentially dangerous. She barely remembered her mother, but she'd always felt her absence, and the thought of losing her dad too had sometimes been more than she could bear. Barry had helped her through some of the worst nights, after he came to live with them. Even though he'd just lost his own mother and his dad was in jail, he'd made Iris feel less afraid by distracting her with random science facts and stories about impossible things. 

"There was this time," said Iris, "when I really wanted to be a cop too, so I could protect them - so I could protect my dad, I mean; I didn't know Eddie back then - but that didn't work out. But now there's this guy, this impossible person watching over them - he actually saved my dad's life once - and I just…" She gestured helplessly. "I want to know who he is. I want to be part of what he's doing in any way I can. I want to _help_. Maybe if the bad guys knew that someone else was out there, someone with super powers, they'd think twice before committing a crime. I feel really excited about this. It's taken me a while-- Okay, I wasn't lying when I said you were my heroine, but I got into journalism kind of recently. It's taken me a while to find something I'm really excited about. I'm really, _really_ excited about this. So I want to pursue it. And I want that byline. And … my fifteen minutes are up, aren't they?"

"Yeah," said Lois. "I'm afraid so."

"So … any pearls of wisdom for me?" Iris tried not to sound too wheedling - or too hopeful; after all, she'd basically tricked this very important woman into meeting her here, and then she'd monopolized her time. She wasn't sorry, but she was aware that Lois Lane didn't actually owe her anything. She was never going to hear the end of this from Barry.

Lois shrugged. "I think you're in danger of losing your objectivity. Don't. Nobody wants to read your lengthy love letter to the Streak. At the same time, this _is_ a personal story. Don't forget about that. And don't forget that this Streak character is a person too. He can be your symbol of hope, but there's someone under that mask. Also…" She hesitated.

"What, what?"

Lois leaned forward and covered one of Iris's hands with her own. The touch startled Iris, but Lois held her with her frank, dark eyes. "Be _careful._ You probably think this is rich, coming from me, but I'm telling you, getting mixed up in these things is dangerous, and you're very young." She pressed Iris's fingers insistently. "I'm not trying to put you down or discourage you. I want you to pursue your dream. Just be careful. You think the bad guys will see the Streak as a deterrence? I think more than a few of them will see him as a challenge, and if they associate you with him…" Her lips quirked in a wry smile. "Being a superhero's favorite human has its disadvantages. Though, I admit, they sometimes make for good stories." Her smile faded and she gave Iris's fingers another brief squeeze. "Just remember that your dad and your friend need you too. Promise me you'll remember that."

A part of Iris wanted to rebel. _I'm twenty-five_ , she wanted to shout. _People have been trying to protect me my whole life. When is it finally okay for me to go out and try to protect them?_ But Lois's expression was stern. Iris wanted her respect, wanted Lois to see her as a colleague - well, future colleague. And she knew she wasn't going to get that by complaining. 

"I promise," said Iris. "I'll be careful."

"Good." Lois released Iris's hand and pushed her chair away from the table. "Now I've got a plane to catch."

"Oh. Do you want me to call you a cab?" Iris asked.

"I've got it," said Lois, rising. "Thanks for the coffee and cheesecake. And for the flattery. It's … nice to feel inspiring."

"Come on, I bet you get it all the time."

Lois snorted. "What I get all the time is variations on 'Oh, crap, it's you again.' You get used to it."

"I meant it," said Iris sincerely. "Every word, I promise. Thank you so, _so_ much."

"I know. Well, good luck, Ms. West. I'll be looking for that byline."

Iris watched her leave. A moment after the door closed behind her, Barry, who'd apparently managed to rescue himself from Meadow, dropped into her vacated seat. "So, I heard something about free cheesecake," he said with a teasing grin.

"Meadow told on me?"

"You left her alone with the espresso machine.

"It's always slow this time of day."

"Hey, I'm innocent here," said Barry. "So, how does it feel to meet your idol?"

"You recognized her?"

"You had a shrine to her in your dorm room." When Iris flushed, he waggled a finger at her and laughed, not unkindly. "Ha, you thought I forgot about that!"

"She thinks _you're_ cute."

Barry stopped laughing. "Seriously?" he said.

"That was on the record."

" _The_ Lois Lane thinks I'm cute?" He started to get up. "Hey, if I hurry, do you think I could catch her?"

Iris grabbed the lapel of his jacket and tugged him back down. "Dork," she said fondly.

"So, how was it?" he asked, leaning toward her, his elbows on the table. "Was it amazing? Did she give you good advice?"

"I think so," said Iris. She looked over his shoulder at the window, beyond which the city seemed faded and distant in the misting rain. No streaks of red in her field of vision; but he was out there somewhere, she knew, saving people. The thought warmed her, made her smile. "She didn't really tell me anything too specific, but she was encouraging." _Maybe. I guess._

"That's great. I'm really, really glad for you."

She met his eyes again, and the sweetness and sincerity in them made her next breath hurt. _Oh, Barry,_ she thought, the warmth draining from her cheeks.

"So, do you have an idea for a story?"

"As a matter of fact," said Iris, "I do." _You'll see. It's for you. For us._

He raised his eyebrows, clearly expecting more of an answer, but that was all that she would say. "Fine," he said at last, "be a brat and don't tell me. Hey, don't you have a job?"

"I'm on a break. Which I guess ended a few minutes ago. Can you see Meadow? Is she giving me a death glare?"

"Nah, just a slightly maim glare."

"Better scoot." As she rose, she snatched up her notebook and pen, and Lois's plate and half-empty coffee mug. "I'm off - officially - in like forty minutes. We still on for a movie?"

"That's why I'm here."

"You don't mind waiting?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Nope."

At the sight of his smile and the look in his eyes, some of the warmth returned to her. _Just wait,_ she promised him silently.

11/18/2014


End file.
